Bendiciones @Kayla Garcia D. Bourque ! I love everything about what you just shared — you are asking exactly the right questions and working on exactly the right things. Learning to discern what is you versus what is spirit is honestly some of the most important work a developing medium can do. Most people skip this step and it causes so much confusion down the road. The fact that you're prioritizing it tells me your development is going in a really healthy direction. Here are some resources across each area you mentioned: Psychic & Mediumship Development - Sanaya Roman — Opening to Channel is a classic for learning to distinguish your own thoughts from spirit communication - James Van Praagh — Talking to Heaven and Reaching to Heaven are warm, accessible entry points into mediumship development - Gordon Smith — The Unbelievable Truth offers a grounded, honest look at how mediumship actually works - Sonia Choquette — The Psychic Pathway is excellent for developing intuitive discernment specifically Quieting the Mind / Spiritual Discipline ( I met her in person, she's so sweet) - Eckhart Tolle — The Power of Now remains one of the best books ever written on silencing mental noise - Thich Nhat Hanh — The Miracle of Mindfulness is simple, practical, and genuinely transformative - don Miguel Ruiz — The Four Agreements speaks directly to the internal chatter that gets in the way of clear spiritual perception Ifá & Lukumí Tradition - Wande Abimbola — Ifá: An Exposition of Ifá Literary Corpus — if you read one book on Ifá, this is it - Lydia Cabrera — El Monte — foundational for understanding the tradition's relationship with nature and spiritual forces - John Mason — anything he has written is worth your time - David H. Brown — Santería Enthroned for deep ethnographic context - Joseph Murphy — Santería: African Spirits in America is a great starting point if you're newer to academic study of the tradition Yoruba Language Resources

This is one of my favorite questions @Victor Zamacona because it tells me you're serious about learning the right way. There is a growing body of literature on Ifá, Lukumí, and Yoruba tradition, and some of it is genuinely excellent. Here are authors and scholars worth knowing: Scholarly & Ethnographic Authors - David H. Brown — Santería Enthroned is one of the most thorough ethnographic studies of Lukumí practice in Cuba and the diaspora - Lydia Cabrera — her work, especially El Monte, is considered foundational for understanding Cuban Lucumí and its plant/herbal traditions - Joseph Murphy — Santería: African Spirits in America is a solid, accessible introduction to the tradition from an academic lens - John Mason — prolific writer on Orisha culture, foods, ceremonies, and Yoruba spiritual life; deeply respected in the community - Miguel "Willie" Ramos — a practicing priest and scholar whose work on Lukumí liturgy and history is highly regarded - Wande Abimbola — one of the foremost authorities on Ifá from the Yoruba homeland; his work on Odu and Ifá philosophy is essential - William Bascom — his ethnographic studies on Yoruba divination and Ifa remain academically significant - Robert Farris Thompson — Flash of the Spirit traces African artistic and spiritual traditions across the diaspora beautifully A necessary caution though. Even the best books can only take you so far. Some of what is written — even by respected authors — reflects a particular lineage, a particular moment in time, or an outsider's interpretation of what they observed. Books cannot initiate you. Books cannot read your Ori. Books cannot tell you what your specific path requires. The most important thing you can do alongside reading is learn from your elders. A living, initiated, experienced elder in your lineage will always be your most credible source. What they pass down to you directly — through ceremony, through conversation, through years of relationship — carries an authority that no book can replicate.

🎉 Happy Father’s Day, @Baba Victor Today, our community would like to take a moment to honor and celebrate a man who gives so much of himself to the service of others. Baba Victor, thank you for the countless readings, classes, ceremonies, phone calls, prayers, teachings, corrections, encouragement, and sacrifices that often happen behind the scenes. Many of us have found clarity during confusion, hope during difficult times, and direction when we felt lost because you were willing to answer the call of service. Thank you for being a spiritual father, teacher, mentor, and guide to so many people. Your dedication to preserving tradition, teaching with patience, and helping others grow has touched more lives than you may ever fully know. On this Father’s Day, we celebrate not only the father of your family but also the father figure, elder, and leader that so many in this community have come to love and respect. May the ancestors continue to walk beside you, may Orunmila continue to guide your wisdom, and may all of the love you pour into others return to you multiplied. Please join us in wishing Baba Victor a very Happy Father’s Day! ❤️ Drop your favorite memory, lesson, or message of appreciation for Baba Victor in the comments below.

Hello, My name is Kay. I'm new to this community and learning more about Ifa. My mom introduced me to Santeria as she was initiated some time ago. But she's not a teacher per se. And our relationship is a bit strained. Which is why I'm seeking guidance and learning on my own. My question is: Do I need to have a relationship with the Catholic God in order to follow Ifa? I understand the history and that Santeria came about because of slavery and that Catholicsm is tied to Santeria. I was baptized Catholic but I've never felt a connection to it. I perceive and believe in deities from other religions and pantheons. I believe in angels, demons, and a Creator But the Catholic God...that's a different story. Asé thank you.

Bendiciones Everyone! I've decided to add a "Spiritual Development" tab to our Skool. But before I start creating content, I want to hear from you. I don’t want to assume I know what you need. I want to actually listen. So tell me: What are your biggest spiritual development questions right now? No question is too basic. No question is silly. And please don’t feel like you have to already know the “right words” to ask. Just tell me what you’re wondering, what you’re struggling with, what you’re curious about, or what you wish someone would explain in a simple, grounded way. Your questions will help me create content that is actually useful for you — not just random lessons, but teachings that meet you where you are. Drop your spiritual development questions below, and I’ll use them to start building out this new section for our community. I’m excited about this. 🤍